Did you schedule an induction solely for convenience?

[SASM]

I am just curious... I am toying with the idea since I am insanely paranoid this time around due to the kids both being in preschool and DS having soccer. The "not knowing when this will happen" is driving me nuts, and I am NOT a control freak by any means! It wasn't an issue with DD's birth since DS was newly two and without obligations. I really do not want to burden any of my emergency contacts with their schedules BUT I also do not want to shrug off their schedules because school will be new to them and something for them to look forward to. I do not want the kids to be forced to not go to school, etc b/c "the baby is coming". Life will be rough enough with all of the adjustments that they'll be making ~ I do not want to take away their preschool/social/fun time. That being said, it seems kind of selfish on my part to want to schedule an induction and go against "God's plan" and choose a birthday for this little one. UGH!! Am I making sense?

So...Has anyone ever been in the same situation?

TIA!!

[Marisa6826]

Not inductions, but I scheduled both c-sections ahead of time. I have a heart condition that precluded me from going into labour. So, I got the date, went in the night before to wean off a particular med, had the baby the next morning.

No running around like a lunatic, no worrying about getting through the Lincoln Tunnel while in labour, no worrying about finding Jonathan in NYC.

I was also able to tweak Mia's birthday so that it wasn't the same day as Sophie's (they're a week apart).

I think you need to do what you need to do and not worry about what other people think. ;)

-m

ETA - forgot the most important part. By scheduling Mia's birth, I was able to arrange for childcare for Sophia. I also had food in the house, laundry done, etc., etc.

[kep]

Um, no. You are *way* more likely to end up with a c-section. I have no problem with a medically necessary induction, but I am a firm believer that babies will come when they are ready. (For the most part.)

Kelli

Proud Mommy to Lukey (2003). Weaned after 3 years of happy nursing!
And Mommy to our newest baby, Joseph, born 3 days after Christmas.

[hobokenmom]

Yes....sort of, but my doctor wasn't willing to do it unless I was showing signs of impending labor (softened and thinned cervix).

My daughter was due January 9th. I thought for sure she'd be born early as I was having contractions the whole last month of my pregnancy.

My mom, who was the one who was going to help me out with my older DS, was planning to go back to Florida soon.

When I told my doctor that I had to have this baby because Grandma wasn't going to wait around forever, he was happy to induce me that Saturday (which was the day before my actual due date) because he was on call at the hospital anyway and had to be there all day.

So everything was incredibly organized and civilized. I had a nice dinner at a restaurant the night before with my DH, and then I got up in the morning, headed off to the hospital and had a baby by 5 pm.

[brittone2]

As the PP said, a convenience induction ups your chances of a c/s. If you are okay with a c/s should it happen, then maybe this is an okay option for you. But, if you end up with a c/s, the recovery may be more difficult, kind of (IMO) offsetting some of the convenience of the induction in the first place. Trying to take care of a preschooler and a baby with a c/s incision may not be much fun or very convenient.

CNN just had an article on 5 ways to try to avoid a C-Section (please don't flame me, yes, I realize many women have their reasons for needing/wanting a C/S). #1 is to avoid non-medically necessary inductions.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/08/23/ep.csection/index.html

Personally, it isn't something I'd be comfortable with, but after considering your options, maybe it will be something that you decide works for your family.

[JBaxter]

No convenience as other say will get you a csection. Mine was scheduled for the day after my last appt. I was 40weeks my blood pressure had been on a steady rise my hands and feet were swelling and my ob estimated Nathan at 9 to 10 lbs. He was 9lb 8oz. It took 21hrs and I dont suggest it unless you REALLY need to do it. I would NO WAY ever choose to do it that way with out a medical reason.

[LBW]

I went into labor naturally with DS1 and was induced with DS2 (advised by my midwife for medical reasons). I thought labor with DS1 was bad only until the induction! Man, that was the worst pain ever! So, yeah, being able to schedule childcare, etc, is great, but I wouldn't have an induction again if at all possible.

That said, you should do what you need to do for yourself and your family!

[Sillygirl]

I did with #2 - my parents flew in from Europe for two weeks and I wanted to have their help post-baby for as long as possible. The pitocin drip didn't do much (I had a favorable cervix) but breaking the waters was very effective and I delivered after six pushes a few hours later.

I was really sure of my dates and I was already 2 cm dilated with a nice soft cervix. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. There is an increased risk of C-section but plenty of women deliver vaginally after induction.

I was happy with my choice and so glad I didn't have to stress about finding someone to watch DS1 in the middle of the night.

[SASM]

I was thinking about this reason. DH does not want me to schedule one for this reason. I talked with my OB yesterday concerning the possibility of an emergency CS and she said that the likelihood of my needing one is unlikely since this is my third pregnancy/vaginal delivery ~ it more common for first-timers. That being said, she also wouldn't schedule an induction unless my cervix looks "ready". I am only looking at 2 days before the EDD, not 10 days. But, before this one, I was totally of your state of mind...let nature take its course.

[egoldber]

Do you have family who can come and stay with you? I've had my MIL come and stay with us with each child and I really don't know how I'd have coped without her here. Granted, she's quirky and we have our issues, but generally she's a good hearted woman and great with Sarah. Your MIL mileage may vary. :) But this way there are no child care stresses and she kept Sarah on her regular schedule.

[SASM]

Thank you for your responses. Like I said in the response to kep, the possibility of an emergency CS is a concern of mine, as well, although my OB did put my mind at ease a little. I am normally totally of the "God has a plan" state of mind, but this time it is just so difficult NOT KNOWING, which is normally very exciting for me. UGH!

Thank you so much for your feedback ~ I really appreciate it. Any other feedback would be greatly appreciated. :)

[SASM]

Hi Beth,

Our families live about 9 hours away. My parents are coming the last week of September. My father is pretty much useless ~ doesn't do diapers and doesn't know what to do with the kids (after he dropped me off at the hospital when I was in labor with DD (DH was working at the hospital that AM), he went golfing and left Mom with DS). My mom REALLY wants to be in the delivery room this time around since she missed DD's birth (our emergency contact fell through). So...DD was one day past her EDD (DS was +9 days). If this one follows the pattern, I will deliver either smack in the middle of the week or later. My parents have to be back home by Sunday and that wouldn't really give them any time to spend with the new one (they wouldn't see us again until February). So...the middle of the week would be a potential problem for our emergency contacts (we have three this time instead of 1, but one of which lives 1 hour away, 1 works 3 days a week, and the other is the one that fell through the last time) meaning that my mom would miss the birth again. :( My MIL could come down but I think that would just be too awkward with my parents, MIL, and very little space. :( UGH!!! See what I mean? I just wish that I could stop thinking about this.

[hobokenmom]

If I were in your situation, I'd definitely schedule it. I don't think two days before your due date is unreasonable, given that you're at least a little dilated. I think a c/s with a third child is pretty unlikely.

With my third, I started taking EPO to ripen my cervix when I hit 37 weeks, I think. I delivered two weeks early, and I was 3 cm dilated at my last appt. before I gave birth.

Good luck. I think peace of mind is important!

[betsydenny]

I am in a similar place as to delivering #3 and wanting to make it all work out with coverage for the other two and such. So I am going to try an informal induction if it works.

My first two came one week and three weeks early and I was dialated 3-4 cm in the week leading up to each's birth. I had my doc strip my membranes and within 24 and then 48 hours I had delivered each kid. I am crossing my fingers and planning to do the same this time (hopefully the week before Columbus Day weekend) provided I am again dialated.

My instinct for you would be that as long as you are dialating, I would go for it. Life is hard enough at this point with 2 and another on the way. Some scheduling convenience is huge!

Good luck and keep us posted!
Betsy

[Globetrotter]

Since you asked... to be honest, I wouldn't schedule an induction for convenience alone. Inductions can work when you are ready to go into labor, but a cold induction has more chance of failure and c/s, which is way more inconvenient due to the recovery time. Plus, having gone through one (my water broke before I was ready for labor, and I ended up with a c/s) I can tell you those induction pains are pretty intense. I find that obs are over eager to schedule - it gives them some control over their schedules, too.

Can you hire some help? I don't know if it's too late to find a last minute doula, or something along those lines. In the long run, your kids will adjust to the interruption in their schedule, so I wouldn't worry about that too much.

Whatever you end up doing, I hope everything works out for you! I know it can be stressful.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I wouldn't do it. I would perhaps look for a classmate to take dcs to school so their schedule will stay on track. I was on call for my friends when they were expecting #2 and it really worked out well. Especially b/c baby went arrived 11pm Friday night. I was on call for other friends expecting #3 and that little baby also chose a handy time to arrive. I was more than happy to be ready to help at any time for them. It was an honor to be chosen to take care of their kids. I don't mind complicated arrangements and would have made things work so the parents could focus on the birth of the newest baby.

I just don't think that the risks outweigh the benefits, even for a 3rd timer at 40 weeks with a favorable cervix. Every induction drug and method carries risk as do all the interventions that go with it. I think birth is already kind of tough and I wouldn't want to make it anymore so for myself or baby. I researched inductions a ton and wrote up a file on the possible problems with induction drugs and methods. If you want to check it out, here is the link:
http://prepforlabor.tripod.com/id2.html

I really don't think the kids will mind having their days thrown off schedule or having to miss school for their new sibling. :)

Good luck making this choice!

Beth

[emily_gracesmama]

I just scheduled an induction w/ number 2. Not so much for convenience, although my husband did have to go away for 10 days a week after we had her, so I did want him around to help me for a little while before he left. My first came quickly born 4 hrs after water broke, 3 after we got to hospital. I went in on 8-14 knowing I was 4 cm dilated from my appt the previous week and when they checked me I was 6-7. I am glad I did it, I am what they call a silent dialator (sp?) and if I hadn't been scheduled to go in that day I would not have gone in with the contractions I was having.

[o_mom]

I have BTDT with the 'not knowing' feeling.

With DS2 I was in labor less than two hours total - water broke and he was born 1 hr 45 min later with no warning before that. We also live 30 min from the hospital if there is no traffic and DH works 20 min away in the opposite direction. You can imagine that induction crossed my mind. :-)

Ultimately I chose not to induce. The risks of induction far outweighed even an accidental homebirth in my mind. What I did do was plan for my Mom to come 2 days before my due date and stay for 2 weeks after. I was 2 days early with DS1, on my date with DS2 so I was pretty sure I would go close to my due date. I ended up going 4 days early and we had the neighbor watch them until my Mom came the next day. I was considering some natural indution methods (membrane sweep, DTD, etc.) if I didn't go by my due date but didn't end up needing it.

I would think that unless you really play it up that they are missing something they will probably not even notice that they aren't going to preschool for a day. You also may find that your emergency contacts don't mind preschool drop offs at all. We have always left the van with all the carseats for the person watching them in case they needed to go somewhere anyway so that is one less hassle for them. DH was also able to go home the next morning anyway so he could have taken them to any activities if needed (it was Saturday so nothing scheduled).

[stella]

Yes, I would schedule an induction for convenience in your situation.
I have been reading all the responses and I agree with everybody's points. And then I realized that I am just as pregnant as you (scheduled 9/20) and my mental state is so stressed right now with my 2 existing children and work, and trying to get the house ready, that I would absolutely freak out if I didn't have a definite end in sight.

I think that with your third baby, your chances of a failed induction are pretty slim at that point in your pregnancy, and you are somwhat likely to have #3 before the induction date anyway.

Mine is a scheduled C-section (#3), and I would be a nervous wreck right now without a date certain. There is simply too much to coordinate in my little world for me to be able to relax without a definite end of pregnancy in sight.

Good luck!

[bubbaray]

ITA with this post. I would have been a complete freakin' out mess if I hadn't had a scheduled c/s date with DD#2. We have no family or friends to help us with DD#1 and if I had gone into labor and had to have an emergency c/s with #2 (for medical reasons, her birth was going to be a c/s either way), it would have been just me at the hospital with DH taking care of DD#1. There is no nursery at the hospital I delivered at, healthy babies MUST room in with mom from the start. So, I have no idea who would have held DD#2 even in the recovery room while they were stabilizing me post-op. Just the thought of that possibility made by BP skyrocket while I was PG.

Personally, I didn't consider this scheduling for convenience, but rather for necessity as its not like we could leave DD#1 without a caregiver -- someone HAD to look after her, KWIM?

JMHO.

Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[bunnisa]

Something I haven't seen mentioned (unless I missed it) is that Pitocin can be really hard on the baby. The unnatural intensity of pitocin-induced contractions can cause heart decels and can also cause the baby to pass meconium, leading to a whole string of complications.

I wouldn't schedule a convenience induction for that reason alone.


...blessed wife and mama to two & one due this summer!

"We must remember that life begins at home and we must also remember that the future of humanity passes through the family"
-Mother Teresa

[gatorsmom]

ITA with this post too. I have been a nervous wreck that the twins would come early even though I will have a scheduled c-section!!

I might be slammed for this, but the thing you have to remember is that this pregnancy is different than your first because you have more people who rely on you now. With 2 children at home, you have to think of them too. With a scheduled induction you can be less stressed that everyone will be taken care of. You can have all your ducks in a row. And, if you do end up with a c-section, at least your mom will be there to help you for a few days. A c-section is not the worst thing in the world, really. Unless, of course, you plan to have 5 more children (a c/s would limit the number of future children you could safely have).

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[brittone2]

Playing devil's advocate though... if a woman has a c/s, which is more likely with a convenience induction, what is the impact on the family afterward if the mom *does* end up with a more challenging recovery due to incision, not being cleared to drive right away, etc? Also, while it isn't the mom's fault, an non-medically necessary induction or c/s, especially if prior to the due date, is statistically more likely to end baby up in the NICU for respiratory issues, etc. (Tarahsolazy has some old posts in the Lounge about this topic as she's a neonatologist, and I believe she has cautioned people about convenience inductions, especially prior to due date). A scheduled, non-medically necessary induction or c-section without complications can go really smoothly, but there are increased risks statistically to mom and baby. Those increased risks certainly could offset the convenience of a non-medically necessary induction. Yes, for lots of people convenience inductions work out great, but there is a subset of that group that will be faced with some really significant challenges (which of course can happen to a degree w/ a vaginal birth as well).

[stella]

I thought she said she would have help lined up, if she only could ascertain a delivery date. Her family is out of town and will come in when she asks them to, but like most families, they can't really camp out for several weeks waiting on a spontaneous birth. And then she wouldn't have anyone to care for the older chidlren when she actually goes into labor - everybody can probably be there in the next few days, but not right when she needs them.

That was just my understanding of her situation.

[o_mom]

Honestly, the situation as she described it would not be a reason for me to induce. I'm not saying other people would see it the same way, just my own feelings and priorities.

[brittone2]

True. But I guess one of the things I personally would find challenging in making this decision is that unless you induce early (before EDD), there's a good chance of going into labor spontaneously before your EDD anyway. Then you couple the potential risks that can come with elective induction, even at 38+ weeks. So in my mind, I'd personally prefer a plan B, finding some sort of other caregiver locally because labor could happen spontaneously anyway.

Juggling schedules is so hard, especially this day in age when so many of us live far from family or close friends. I totally get that and know it really is tough to find someone to help. But since scheduling an elective induction doesn't mean that she won't go into labor on her own anyway beforehand, and the convenience might be negated by an increased potential for complications, I personally wouldn't feel comfortable inducing, especially prior to the EDD.

Here's one of Tarahsolazy's old posts on the topic if you are interested. She recommends holding off until at least 39 weeks. Even then, it seems like you'd need a backup plan in case you go into labor prior to the induction.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=37&topic_id=418343&mesg_id=418439&page=

[SASM]

Sorry about the debate, ladies! Right now I am a little more at ease with the whole situation. I really cannot do anything until my Week 39 OB visit anyway since I am not interested in inductions before wk 39/4. If my cervix does not look ripe and ready, my OB will not schedule an induction anyway. I highly doubt that I will go before Wk 39 since I have gone to term with my other two.

Since my last post, I have somehow added another emergency contact to my list ~ not bad for someone who does not have a HUGE support network in their area! :) I've tried to contact everyone to get their schedules, limitations, etc so I HOPEFULLY will have a better grasp on who will be available when we need to call (if we should call any particular person, they SHOULD be available at that time) instead of being left in the dust, like the last time. My largest concern was the inconvenience of possibly leaving my kids with one person for over 12 hours, b/c you never know how long it'll be from the time you leave the house until the the time the baby makes their appearance. Three of the four contacts live in my immediate area and two of them (I haven't been able to contact the third yet) have said that if they have the kids and the timing is inconvenient after a while, the other would be available, etc. The fourth one, who is an hour away, would be able to get here hopefully within an hour and most likely stay with the kids.

So...it is frustrating not knowing where my kids will be and who they'll be with but I am getting more comfortable with the idea that they WILL be taken care of one way or another.

Their scheduling commitments are not as huge of a concern for me now since they would hopefully only miss one day. Should they miss school on the day that I go into labor, it will hopefully be exciting enough for them to see friends, cousins, etc (whoever ends up watching them) and knowing that "Baby Sunshine" is finally coming! :)

And...as for if I DO end up going well past the EDD into late week and my parents have to leave, well, I just found out that DH's job has him on an open-ended time off, so if he needs more time off than the last week of September, he can supposedly take it. I just do not know how long he'd want to take off, which is kind of frustrating. :( This is very comforting, as well.

So...as you can read, there are a lot of "hopefuls" in here. Here's hoping that all goes well. I cannot do anything until Wk 39 anyway. Thank you sooooooo much for all of your feedback. I am sorry for the debating. Everyone has their own views and experiences and I am sooooo grateful that everyone theirs with me, both on here and via email. :)

[brittone2]

Hey, that's great :) It sounds like you have some great plans in place. Hopefully you are feeling reassured!!

I think this actually remained kind of tame compared to discussions I've seen on the topic in the past LOL.

I wish you much luck as you set up your plans, and a wonderful delivery, no matter what form it takes. It sounds like you have a great team of people supporting you!

[o_mom]

I'm glad things are coming together.

With DS2 I had a 'schedule' of contacts. I made a spreadsheet with the dates listed down one side starting two weeks before and going two weeks after. Then I had columns for first, second, third, etc. contacts with phone numbers. That way DH could just look at who to call on a given day since I had some who were only available on weekends, a few out of town for a day or two and so on. The last thing I wanted to do in labor was explain to him who he should call. :-)

On the Dh taking time off, we found that having him take half days after the initial period was best. He would go in 2 hrs late and leave 2 hrs early. That way he could get the older ones up and fed and then be home to help with dinner. It enabled us to extend the time he had off while he didn't feel like he was getting too far behind at work.

[megs4413]

I've had two inductions. the first was because i had SROM (spontaneous rupture of membranes) with NO labor. so, the baby had to come out. that was a rough labor but i am pro-epidural so all in all, it went fine. 13 hours and no complications.

the second induction was more convenience...i had some pregnancy complications and my heart started to act up. instead of going to a cardio when i was 37 wks and starting medication, we elected to schedule an induction. it was GREAT. my cervix was favorable (i had gone into PTL at 31 wks and been on bedrest for awhile)and it was my second vaginal delivery...i got hooked up to the pitocin at like 6pm and had the baby at 2:30 am. it wasn't as tough as my first labor because we waited on breaking the bag of waters. actually, to be honest, it was easy as HECK compared to my first labor! i almost didn't ask for the epi, but went ahead and did it in case i freaked out through transition (which i did). I was induced at 38 4/7 with DS and 38wks even with DD.

I hope you have peace about whatever you decide to do and I hope you have lots of help and support for your labor/delivery!